Short Takes
October 2nd 2020
Bamboo Airways this week became the first Vietnamese carrier to operate Embraer E-jets. The new airline, which began flying in January 2019, has two 118-seat E195 aircraft on lease from Denmark's Great Dane Airlines. Read More » The E195s have been initially deployed on the Con Dao-Hanoi route, with additional destinations, Hai Phong and Vinh, to be added later. "The airplane opens up a whole new category of nonstop flights to develop markets with low traffic volume and high growth potential," Embraer vice president for Asia Pacific sales and marketing, Raul Villaron, said.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport this week started expansion works that included a fourth and fifth runway, a third terminal building and additional apron space. The airport, which processed 73 million passengers in 2019, has a target of 20 million passengers a year by 2030 and 140 million passengers annually in 2045.
Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (HAECO Group) said this week its Landing Gear Services business had completed the world's first 787 landing gear overhaul. "The gears have been released by HAECO Landing Gear Services under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB)," HAECO said in a statement.
Spirit Aerosystems has called off its proposed acquisition of Belgium-based Asco Industries. The company disclosed the termination of the deal, which was announced in 2018, in a regulatory filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It said a number of conditions had not been satisfied, including approval from the European Commission.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said this week its annual assembly of presidents due to be held in Japan in November now would take place as a virtual event due to ongoing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in the region. The event would also be restricted to member airline delegates only. "Together with our host Japan Airlines, we made the difficult decision to hold the assembly of presidents meeting virtually. We thank all stakeholders for their understanding," AAPA director general, Subhas Menon, said in a statement.
Boeing said this week final assembly of all 787s would take place at its North Charleston facility in South Carolina from the middle of 2021. The decision to end 787 production at Boeing's Everett facility followed a feasibility study of producing 787s at a single location. “As our customers manage through the unprecedented global pandemic, to ensure the long-term success of the 787 program, we are consolidating 787 production in South Carolina," Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO, Stan Deal, said in a statement.
Aircraft seat maker Safran Seats said this week it had established a new legal entity in Singapore, Safran Seats Asia. "Our airlines customers in the Asia-Pacific now have an entity dedicated to their after-sales needs that will contribute to their operational efficiency," the company said on Twitter.
